James 1:19-21
My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry. If you are angry, you cannot do any of the good things that God wants done. You must stop doing anything immoral or evil. Instead be humble and accept the message that is planted in you to save you.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Most three-year-olds cannot control their temper or their tongue. They have not learned to use the right words or methods to express their feelings. So there are a lot of “I can’ts” and temper tantrums. Timothy told me one day, “I’m mad!” I asked why he was mad, and he couldn’t tell me. So he threw some toys and cried instead. As you can imagine, that really didn’t accomplish much!
I tried (unsuccessfully) to explain to Timothy that I might be able to help if I knew what made him mad. But we could not get anything done until we knew what problem we were addressing.
Even at a “grown-up” age, we are really no different. We still get angry over situations and lash out. We still behave irrationally and fail to truly spell out our issues, so that we can face them head-on. And we know better. God has equipped us with the ultimate tool for handling any and every situation… His Holy Spirit. All we have to do is stop and outline our situation… to say, “LORD, here I am… this is what’s going on… how do I proceed?”… and to trust Him to show us what needs to get done.
Instead, we often forge ahead on our own. The devil sits on our shoulder and rubs his hands greedily. And with the tiniest window of opportunity, he jumps in and says, “I think you should do it THIS way,” or “Nobody’s going to help you… you might as well have a little fun, get drunk or high, rant and rave and throw a fit…or simply give up.” Insert whatever trips your trigger here… because we all have the propensity to succumb to Satan’s voice if we are not watchful and diligent in our efforts to listen to the Holy Spirit!
Stay on your guard, and ask God to help you control your temper. Learn to express what is bothering you to the Holy Spirit… and to seek His guidance for how to handle even the smallest of everyday challenges. Not every day will be a bed of roses. Tests will come… trials and tribulations are inevitable. But God has planted a message of hope in your heart. He has equipped you with the full armor of His Holy Spirit, and you.can.do.this! Your job is to listen and pay attention. How are you doing so far?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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